Published 10:00 am, Thursday, May 26, 2011

The Mavericks did not dispatch Oklahoma City with ease, but they did it quickly. ow, as this veteran team catches its breath and waits for Miami to take care of business, one concern gnaws at them.

If the Mavericks don't do a better job against Miami's Big Three than they did against Oklahoma City's on Wednesday night, they will not win the title.

How's that for bringing down the mood?

How's that for a depressing spin on the Mavericks' 12-3 sprint through the Western Conference?

The conference finals almost turned around and trudged back up I-35 because of the defense's inability to slow the Thunder's best players. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden extended the Mavericks to the limit before bowing out with another poor finish in the final five minutes.

Durant, Westbrook and Harden combined for 77 of their team's 96 points. They had 13 assists, 22 rebounds and kept the Mavericks on their heels for most of Game 5.

Miami isn't as deep as the Thunder, but its top three players are better and more experienced. When the Heat dismisses Chicago on Thursday night or this weekend, the matchup will be set.

What can the Mavericks defense do to contain LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh?

Maybe you remember what Wade did to the Mavericks defense the last time these teams met in the Finals. There was no viable second option for the Heat in that series.

There will be this time around. Slow Wade, and James will give the Mavericks fits. Flip the defensive emphasis to the perimeter, and Wade will make the Mavericks pay.

And then there's Bosh, picking away from mid-range as he has against the Bulls.

It doesn't bode well.

Durant, Westbrook and Harden topped the Mavericks' defensive checklist heading into every game of this series. The Mavericks were unable to slow any of the three in Game 5.

You can bet Rick Carlisle will point this out to his team before the Finals begin.

Sure, it took Westbrook 28 shots to score 31 points, but he consistently attacked the basket and broke down the Mavericks defense. James and Wade aren't as quick as the Thunder guard. But James can power to the rim at will, and Wade is quick enough to slip through the cracks and draw fouls or get to the rim.

Durant floated around the perimeter most of this game and picked his spots inside on the way to 23 points. Wade can do the same.

Bosh is a forward and obviously presents a different problem than Harden. But he gives the Heat a strong mid-range presence. He will make it more difficult for the Mavericks' power players to cheat off their man to help the perimeter defenders the way Tyson Chandler and Dirk Nowitzki did during this series.

James, Wade rank sixth and seventh in scoring in these playoffs. Bosh is 19th and coming on strong. Their combined average is 68.3 points. Miami's Big Three is a more complete and efficient offensive group than Oklahoma City's.

The Mavericks have time to figure out what must be done to slow Miami's high-scoring trio.

They also know they must be better than they were in Game 5 to succeed.